Game practice device



Feb. l0, 1942. J. D. BEEsoN ETAL GAME PRACTICE DEVICE Filed April 24, 1940 wuc/wtow l EEso/v, HAROLD Z: 506K,

Patented Feb. l0, 1942 GAME PRACTICE DEVICE John Dalton Beeson, Los Angeles, and Harold Z. Buck, Glendale, Calif.

Application April 24, 1940, Serial No. 331,368

11 Claims.

This invention relates to sports and particularly to a device for practicing the game of tennis by which beginners may be taught fundamentals and advanced players may practice new shots, perfect old ones and generally increase their eiciency.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device of the character described which comprises essentially a flexible pedestal suitably mounted and provided at its free end with a target ball attached thereto. This ball may have secured on its outer surface one or more small cups in which a free tennis ball may be placed for stroking. When used without the free tennis ball, position, service, stroking and follow through may be studied and practiced either indoors or outdoors without the necessity of a back-stop or any means of returning a driven ball. Further advantages are obtainable, however, by employing a free tennis ball and actually serving it, or stroking it toward a back-stop which will return it to the general region of the player, or on a tennis court where someone is available on the opposite side of the net for returning the played ball.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described with or without a target ball which will hold a free tennis ball in stationary position where it may be served or stroked as in actual play and the flight of the ball observed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device of the character described which is portable and which may be readily mounted in different positions to place the ball in any of the numerous positions from which it must be served or stroked as in actual play.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the character described of material which will not injure a tennis racket when the racket comes in Contact with the practice device, which will readily yield under a blow of the tennis racket, and which will return to its normal original position without a rapid rebound, giving the player ample opportunity to follow through his shot, and whi-ch will offer neither shock to the player using the device nor quiver to any extent in recovering from the blow of the racket.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described which may be used to study and practice any of the numerous services and strokes utilized in the game of tennis.

These and other objects and advantages will be made apparent from the following description and drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of our tennis practice device with a tennis racket indicated in position to make a forehand drive, and illustrating a free tennis ball positioned in the cup. Ilhe flight of the ball and the position of our tennis practice device at the end of the stroke are indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical section of our tennis practice device.

Figure 3 is a perspective showing how our tennis practice device may if desired be mounted at various heights upon the post of a conventional tennis court fence for studying and practicing strokes` other vthan those made at the normal waist high position.

Figure 4 is a, fragmentary detail showing a modified form of practice ball incorporated in the devi-ce.

The preferred form of our device is generally indicated by the numeral Ill and comprises essentially a hollow pedestal Illa made of rubberized fabric and rubber, air-tight and inflatable, in the form illustrated.

This form includes a frusto conical base section II curved at I2 to merge into a gooseneck I3 with a substantially horizontal end portion I4 at the extreme end of which is a target or captive ball I5. The gooseneck is a return curve or loop, being in the preferred form about one half the circumference of a full circle, the free end being disposed substantially vertically over the base section.

The wall of the inflatable member comprises an inner layer I6 of rubberized fabric outside of which is a layer of self-sealing rubber I'I of the character ordinarily employed in the manufacy ture of rubber basketballs and the like.

We prefer to form this inflatable member on an aluminum mold with an expansible end to define the ball I 5, this expansible end being later collapsed so that it may be readily withdrawn through the gooseneck I3. Such expansible molds for rubber articles are well known and need not be further described.

We also prefer to incorporate longitudinal reinforcing strips 2l) and 2| in the upper portion of the device as lillustrated in Figure 2. Each of these consists of a strip of rubber extending longitudinally of the 'gooseneck The strip 20 extends approximately from just below the curve I2 to a point almost to the beginning of the horizontal extension I4 and is located between the rubberized fabric and the outer layer of rubber on what we have termed the forward side of the device. The other reinforcing strip extends from a point about midway of the gooseneck I3 almost to the target ball I5 and is placed between the rubberized fabric layer and the outer layer of rubber on the side opposite the reinforcing strip 20.

These reinforcing strips and l2I tend to stiffen the gooseneck, preventing it from being greatly distorted under a blow, and causing the pedestal to bend principally at the curve I2. It also serves to steady the device in use.

While on the mold the assembled rubberized fabric and rubber as described is steam vulcanized at 360 Fahrenheit for approximately 85 minutes which under ordinary conditions is sufcient to cure it. After removal of the mold the lowermost part of the base portion II is mounted on a circular block 22 with the extreme lower edges of the inflatable member turned under and cemented to the lower face of the block as illustrated. This base portion II is also securely clamped by any suitable form of annular clamping device, an example of which is illustrated at 23.

The disc 22 is beveled around its upper edge as indicated at 24 to prevent abrasion of the rubberized fabric when the base portion II of the inflatable member is warped over as it sometimes is when struck. It is optional whether the rubberized fabric ends at the disc as illustrated or is brought down under it with the outer layer of rubber.

Secured to the lower face of the circular disc 22 is a flat metallic plate 25 which is used for attaching the inflatable member to a base 263 or a wall 2'I. This member 25 is formed with a hooked section 28 at one end and is at as indicated at 29 at the other end.

The base 26 is provided with anchoring devices 35 and 3l, the anchoring device 3B comprising a tongue over which the hooked portion 28 may be clamped, and the device 3l comprises a hooked element into which the part 29 can be slid for securing it.

The base portion 26 may be a slab of plywood or any other suitable material and if desired may i be provided with sponge rubber corner pads 32 When the device is to be used for service or strokes at elevations other than as shown in Figure l, it may be installed on a post 21 which is illustrated as a conventional pipe upright such as forms part of a -conventional tennis court fence. An adjustable swivel clamp 28a may be secured to a small base member 29a, and detachably mounted upon the post at the height desired. In such use, the pedestal extends horizontally, and may be rotatably adjusted as shown. A fastener or peg a should be employed as illustrated to prevent the plate 25 from slipping out of the clamp when it happens to be turned upside down.

In fabricating the inflatable member a selfscaling valve 35 is incorporated which may be of any conventional type and into which a hollow needle inating member may be inserted for pumping up the device.

When the infiatable member is pumped up to the desired pressure, which depends upon the type of material used as well as the nature of the reaction desired by the user of the device, the infiated pedestal will remain distended in the shape illustrated.

Due to the larger circumference of the base this portion will be relatively stiffer and less flexible than the gooseneck, and the latter having a much smaller diameter will be found much more flexible and yielding under a blow of the tennis racket. Moreover, the design shown and described assures the principal flexing action taking place at the curve I2, which is important for uniform operation.

In place of the target ball I5, any suitable end which will support ball retaining cups may be employed. As a further modification, we may seal an ordinary tennis ball 33 in the flared mouth at the end of the horizontal extension as illustrated in Figure 4.

Whether we build the target ball I5 integral with the inatable member or employ one of the modifications described, we secure to the ball or the end, one or more small rubber cups 3G upon which may be seated a free tennis ball 37. This rubber cup may if desired be positioned slightly to the right of the center of the target ball I5 looking at the device as in Figure 1 and Figure 2 so that in play the target ball I5 will be first contacted by the racket. Carrying forward the stroke will bring the racket into Contact with the free tennis ball 31 and remove it from the cup 36 driving it forward with whatever type of stroke may be employed by the player.

It is desirable to install three of the rubber cups 3a on the face of the target ball I5 removed by from each other as illustrated so that a tennis ball 3'I may be positioned in the second or third cup 36 when the device is mounted horizontally on the post for stroking at different heights, including service.

It will be found that in use either with or without the free tennis ball 31 instruction may be given in all phases of fcmzwork, approach, handling of the racket and service stroking. The device is so designed that actual play is simulated. The resistance of the inflatable member to the racket somewhat approximates the force of a tennis ball traveling toward the player or at least gives the player a feel of resistance which it is necessary to overcome in actual play. Our device is so designed that the inflatable member yields under the blow of the racket in a manner closely simulating the approach and the return of a played ball so that the user may acquire a very good idea of proper timing.

After being struck by the racket and deflected as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 1 our device does not bound back into its original position in a manner to interfere with the follow through of the tennis stroke, but actually remains in its deflected position for a sufficient interval to permit the user to nicely complete the stroke. It then returns automatically and comes to rest at the point of its original position and is surprisingly steady in reassuming that position.

Our device will not stretch because of the rubberized fabric. While some of the advantages of our invention may be achieved by the use of rubber without the rubberized fabric our preferred form incorporates the fabric to prevent actual stretching of the device. It has been found in practice to more reliably and more closely simulate actual playing conditions when so manufactured.

While the preferred form of our invention has been shown and described, We conceive within the broad disclosure of our invention such equivalents as the use of rubber substitutes, also the use of a relatively thick wall structure eliminating the necessity for inflation. We als@ contemplate as an equivalent a device of the general form shown made of sponge rubber, airfoam or the like, either solid or with a hollow core, or made of any spring material. Airioam is a latex product having minute interconnected cells.

Our invention has been identified as a tennis practice device because it has a particular utility for that purpose. Itis undoubtedly obvious however that it may also be used to advantage in studying and practicing other athletic games in which an object such as a ball is to be struck by the player with an implement such, for example, as a baseball bat. The structure for such analogous uses would remain substantially the same, but in the case of baseball would be made more rugged than for tennis, and the target element might be, or be made to simulate, a baseball, or if the target element comprises the cup, this cup could be made of a size to better accommodate a baseball. target element of our invention may be struck by a baseball bat at substantially any angle used in the play of baseball without the bat striking the body.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A device of the class described comprising: a resilient flexible body with a base portion and an upper portion, and a target element at the end of the upper portion, the upper portion being formed with a return loop terminating at the target element, whereby the target element may be struck with a tennis racket at substantially any angle used in the play of tennis without the racket striking the body.

2. A device of the class described comprising: a resilient ilexible body with a base portion and an upper portion, and a target element at the end of the upper portion disposed when at rest substantially vertically over the base portion, the upper portion being formed with a return loop terminating at the target element, whereby the target element may be struck with a tennis racket at substantially any angle used in the play of tennis without the racket striking the body.

3. A device of the class described comprising: a resilient flexible body with a base portion and an upper portion, and a target element at the end of the upper portion, the body tapering from the base portion toward the upper portion and the upper portion being formed with a return loop terminating at the target element, whereby the target element may be struck with a tennis racket at substantially any angle used in the play of tennis without the racket striking the body and the body will flex under the blow more at the upper portion than at the base portion.

4. A device of the class described comprising: a hollow flexible inflatedbody with a base portion and an upper portion, and a target element at the end of the upper portion, the upper por- It is readily recognized that the tion being formed with a return loop terminating at the target element, whereby the target element may be struck with a tennis racket at substantially any angle used in the play of tennis without the racket striking the body.

5. A device 0f the class described comprising: a hollow flexible inflated body with a base portion and an upper portion, and a target element at the end of the upper portion, the body tapering from the base portion toward the upper portion and the upper portion being formed with a return loop terminating at the target element, whereby the target element may be struck with a tennis racket at substantially any angle used in the play of tennis without the racket striking the body and the body will flex under theblow more at the upper portion than at the base portion.

6. A device of the class described comprising: a resilient iiexible body substantially the lower half of which is a normally straight, tapered base portion and substantially the upper half of which is a continuation of the base portion and formed with a semi-circular return loop, and a captive ball secured to the body at the free end of the loop, whereby the captive ball may be struck with a tennis racket at substantially any angle used in the play of tennis without the racket striking the body and the body will iieX under the blow more in the upper half than in the base portion.

rI. A device of the class described comprising a resilient exible body having a tapered base portion and an upper portion in the form of a return loop.

8. A device of the class described comprising a hollow ilexible iniiated body having a tapered base portion and an upper portion in the form of a return loop.

9. A device of the class described comprising a hollow exible iniiated body having a tapered base portion and an upper portion in the form of a return loop, the body being provided with reinforcements in the wall thereof along the return loop to stiften the arch of the loop.

10. A device of the class described comprising: a resilient iiexible body with a base portion and an upper portion, a target element at the end of the upper portion, the upper portion being formed with a return loop terminating at the target element, whereby the target element may be struck with a tennis racket at substantially any angle used in the play of tennis without the racket striking the body, and a cup attached to the target element adapted for the temporary placement of a ball to be struck and driven therefrom.

11. A device of the class described comprising: a hollow iexible inated body having a base portion of relatively large diameter tapering into an upper portion of relatively small diameter, a target element at the upper end of the upper portion, and means fixedly supporting the lower part of the base portion against movement.

JOHN DALTON BEESON. HAROLD Z. BUCK. 

